On the eve of the city mayoral election, billionaire tech CEO Elon Musk fired a potent warning to New York’s electorate: backing Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa would indirectly hand victory to Democratic socialist frontrunner Zohran Mamdani. Musk voiced his endorsement of former governor Andrew Cuomo in a post on X, writing: “Bear in mind that a vote for Curtis is really a vote for Mumdumi or whatever his name is. VOTE CUOMO!”Musk’s outburst emerged as a sharp rebuke to Mamdani’s anti-billionaire platform — an agenda centred on tax hikes for the wealthy, corporate reform and expanded public services. His policies have rattled tech and finance circles, nervous about a left-leaning shift in New York’s leadership.Furthermore, the ex-DOGE leader was called a ‘racist’ by social media for not taking Mamdani’s name properly. Of particular note, Musk claimed that the city’s ballot system was flawed, suggesting Mamdani’s name appeared twice and arguing that voter identification requirements were weak. He labelled the format a “scam,” asserting that “no voter ID is required, that some mayoral candidates appear twice on the ballot.” Mamdani has embraced his self-description as a democratic socialist. MAGA activists routinely call him a “communist” for his calls to redistribute wealth and raise taxes on New York’s super-rich. The MAGA chief himself, Donald Trump, has thrown his weight behind Cuomo. In a CBS 60 Minutes interview, he said that he would rather have a “bad Democrat” running NYC than a “Communist.” The GOP leader also warned that he would stop federal funding to the city if it became too socialist in nature.
Social media teaches Musk about NYC’s fusion voting system
In New York City elections, a candidate’s name can appear more than once on the ballot because of the city’s fusion voting system. This system allows candidates to be endorsed by multiple political parties, and each party line appears separately on the ballot. For example, a candidate might be listed under both the Democratic Party and the Working Families Party. Voters can choose either line, but all votes ultimately count toward the same candidate’s total. While the system is legal and has existed for decades, it can cause confusion among voters unfamiliar with the format — leading some, like Musk, to mistakenly claim it is a ballot error or manipulation.
